The recent tragedy at Rutgers University is a heartbreaking reminder of how far we have drifted from common sense, basic responsibility, and the sacred duty we owe to our young people. A 19-year-old student was critically injured—electrocuted, according to reports—during what authorities believe was a fraternity hazing event. Another student was hurt trying to save him. This incident did not happen in a war zone or a forgotten part of the world. It happened in a college town, in a house that should have been a safe place for students to live and grow.
Let us be clear: this was not an accident in the truest sense. It was the result of a long chain of failure—failure by the fraternity, failure by the students involved, and failure by the adults and institutions who are supposed to provide oversight. The house where the incident occurred had a long history of safety violations, including missing carbon monoxide alarms, broken doors, exposed wiring, pest infestations, and more. This house was declared uninhabitable just days after the electrocution. And yet, it remained filled with students.
The national fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi, has since shut down the Rutgers chapter, admitting hazing occurred and that their own health and safety rules were broken. The university placed the group on probation and issued a cease and desist order. But all of this happened after the damage was done. After one young man nearly lost his life.
This tragedy raises a hard question: Who is protecting our sons and daughters when they leave home for college?
We live in a time when personal responsibility is fading, and traditional values are mocked. The culture on many college campuses has shifted from honor and discipline to recklessness and moral confusion. Once, fraternities stood for brotherhood, service, and leadership. But many have turned into dens of drinking, destruction, and dangerous rituals. Hazing has become a rite of passage, not a mark of disgrace. And too many adults look the other way.
Parents send their children off to college trusting that the institutions will keep them safe. But when students live in off-campus housing—often owned and managed by national fraternities or private landlords—the lines of responsibility become blurred. Universities say these homes are not under their control. Fraternities say they follow the rules. But when something goes wrong, no one wants to take the blame.
This is not just a safety issue. It is a moral one.
We must return to a culture where life is sacred, where young men are held to high standards, and where institutions take their duties seriously. That means families must do their homework. Ask hard questions. Visit the housing. Check for city inspection reports. Don’t assume because it’s near campus that it’s safe. And universities must stop hiding behind legal walls and start showing real leadership. Transparency is not just helpful—it is necessary.
It is time to end the excuses and face the truth. We are failing our children if we allow them to live in dangerous conditions, engage in reckless behavior, and suffer grave harm in the name of tradition. Some traditions must be left behind when they become toxic.
President Trump has spoken often about restoring law and order in our country. That must include protecting the next generation from harm—whether on city streets or inside a college fraternity house. We need order in our schools, in our homes, and in every place where young people are learning how to become responsible adults.
This horror at Rutgers should be a wake-up call. But more than that, it should be a turning point. Let us pray for the young man who was injured. Let us pray for his family. And let us recommit ourselves to building a culture that values discipline, safety, and the God-given dignity of every life.
